A/n: Sorry you all had to wait so long for the other chapter. I was a little busy, being sick and running track and realizing that some of my friendships just don't seem to be working out. Ever lost a friend and didn't know why? Life is strange that way.
Liam: Quit whining. I thought I'd made you stronger than that!
Dream: Liam dear, you didn't make me anything. I created you.
Liam: (putting his military hat on in place of his cowboy hat) That's it! 20 push-ups, NOW! Down! Down! Down!
(Dream does the push-ups, thanking goddesses abound for the strength track had given her.)
Liam: (as Dream does push-ups) Hey, where's Aurelia?
Dream: (panting and speaking between push-ups) She's -on vacation…writer's-block!
Liam: Then we're going to work you out until she comes back! You will write and write and write!
Dream: My poor fingers…
This chapter is soooo rated Pg-13 for language. Really, I was frustrated!
Merry meet and Merry part until we Merry meet again! This one is a little long… Enjoy and happy belated Beltane!
Chapter Eight: Of Scrying Incidents and Pagan Conventions
Aurelia got up early on Sunday, deciding that she was going to be ready when Will came and got her. Not just ready, but perfect instead. "Oh holy Mother, please help me this day," she prayed over and over as the hot water of the shower flowed over her body.
She dressed that day in a long black skirt and a black silk top. After trying a few different styles, she growled and curled her hair around her face. Looking in the mirror, she thought that the sleeve-less, low-cut top left her looking a little naked. She grabbed a necklace with an amber drop hanging on it and put it on. The amber drop was just above her breasts, far below her pentacle. Perfect.
By ten-thirty she was ready. She sat on her bed and stared out the window awhile as the world became brighter, until she heard a knock on her door. She looked back as Julian opened the door. "Hey," he said, smiling.
She smiled back. "Hey. You look nice." His hair was combed back from the temple, and he wore nice jeans and a green sweater.
"Thanks. I'm taking my boss out to brunch."
"Your boss?"
He blushed a little. "Yeah. My manager, anyway. Her name is Evelyn Martin."
Aurelia's eyebrow rose. "Her? And how old is she?"
"Um… My age?"
"Julian! Are you going to ask her out? You need to get married."
He laughed. "I've just met her, Rail. But I'm telling you, I think she might be the one."
"Muirn beatha dun," whispered Aurelia, looking at the floor.
"What?"
"Nothing." She shook her head to clear it. "You go on and have a good time. Remember, no kissing on the first date!"
He left laughing, waving goodbye. Aurelia proceeded to go to the chest at the end of her bed and pull out a shallow black glass bowl. Her scrying bowl. She filled it with water and proceeded with gazing in it. Her mind wandered. She couldn't think of a question, and decided to let the water guide her where it would, being careful to remember that water was normally unreliable, and she could pretty much disregard what she might see..
But what happened she didn't expect.
Images flew past her in a torrent, and in her mind's eye she couldn't catch a one. She lost her breath as she tried to see, but the speed only increased. It was like fast-forwarding a movie… No matter how you try, at ten-times the normal speed things just don't pan out. Her heart raced increasingly as she realized what danger she was in, what the power would do to her. It would kill her; it had the strength. Get out, she thought desperately. Get out. Let me go. Oh Goddess, let me go! While the images passed, her mind felt emotions, thoughts as she tried to pull away. The impressions on her of warning, danger, pain; these were strong. She began to black out. The pain was overwhelming. If she didn't escape, she'd die, keel right over on the bed like this. No one could help her but herself. Oh Goddess, please help me… Tears ran out of her wide eyes as she tried to blink. Once, twice, on the third try she did it.
As soon as it had started, it had stopped. The bowl was empty.
Will smiled as she got in the car an hour later. "Hey hon. You look great."
She smiled at him. "Thanks. Ready to roll?"
"You know it." He looked comfortable as he stretched in his Hawaiian-style black dragon over-shirt. Fleetingly Aurelia was reminded of Dragon. A smile came to her lips unbidden. Will noticed. "What?"
She shook her head and cleared her throat. "Nothing. Let's go." He backed out of the driveway and they drove through the tiny town.
"Why so quiet?" asked Will.
Aurelia was staring out the window. "Hm? Oh nothing… Just a little tired, I guess."
"Long night?"
"Something like that."
They hit the highway. In the Saturday traffic they blazed up the roads.
"So it's just going to be you and me today?"
He turned into another lane. " Well, Adam was thinking about taking Jaide, Whitney, and one of his friends."
Aurelia looked at him. "Who?"
Will smirked and looked over. "You know Chase Sharp, right?"
Aurelia's eyes widened. "Chase? You're kidding!"
Will shook his head. "Chase has been studying with Adam for awhile now, but he didn't tell Jaide, so he didn't get invited to the last circle."
"Whoops."
"Yep."
"So what all's going on today?" Asked Aurelia, yawning.
Will switched gears. "Oh you know, the usual. Tarot booths and stall shops and fundraisers, stuff like that."
"Sounds fun."
"Should be. Alyce is taking some stuff from Practical Magick to set up a stall. I think Whitney said she'd help her."
Aurelia blinked, startled. "Whit knows Alyce?"
Will smiled. "Yeah. Adam and Jaide took a drive over there. She was there for hours because they actually forgot her and drove home."
"They did WHAT?" Aurelia's eyes were saucers.
Will laughed. "Not as bad as it sounds. 'They only had eyes for each other, and the world around did not exist', as some dude said."
Eyebrows raised. "Only had eyes for each other… Jaide and Adam? That… is a strange match."
"Yeah well, at least now Jaide'll settle down some. She been disrupting our energy."
Aurelia laughed. "So says the high-and-mighty witch."
He playfully punched her shoulder. "Eh, you drive me crazy. Why do I hang around with you?"
"'Cause I'm cute and adorable."
They pulled into the parking lot of the fair grounds and walked around. At first there was nothing special, but they passed stalls of increasing curiosity. They stopped by a crystal stall, where Aurelia found a flat scrying quartz as big as a dinner plate. She did, however, buy both a piece of green and brown jade and beautiful coral.
At a stall owned by The Harvest Moon shop, Aurelia bought enough incense to last her through Mabon. Will bought an athame with a fox engraved into it -his namesake. On the whole, it was a pleasant time.
"Milady! Would you like to buy an amulet? For luck, for love… Anything to please you, Ma'am," called a vendor, wiggling his eyebrows at Aurelia. She smiled and shook her head.
Without warning, Will slipped his arm through hers. She started to freeze, but stopped and took a deep breath. Relax, she told herself. Just relax. He's not going to hurt you. He's knows I'll turn him into a frog.
That brought a smile to her lips again. Will grinned at her. "Enjoying yourself?"
She nodded. "Oh yes. I love these fairs."
They passed an amphitheatre where a man robed in dark blue was giving a speech. Aurelia cocked her head to read a program and nearly laughed at its title: "Yes Virginia, I DO sacrifice small children and dance naked in front of an open fire, and I dream of drinking the blood of a virgin. Get over yourself."
Will leaned down and laughed as well. "I like this one: 'Dear God, is it really my fault that I can't believe your bullsht?' If no, then why do I have to go to hell?'"
Aurelia stared at it for another moment, smiling. It was like old times… before the nightmares. When Kyle Freeman was her boyfriend and her life was a bed of f-ing roses.
Boy did she miss the old days.
Walking through the stretch of fairground, they saw Jaide, Adam, Whit and junior Chase Sharp, and waved. Chase wasn't all of what he looked like - mousy hair in orange-tipped spikes, casual baggy blue jeans and punk-rocker shirt. Though he was the lead guitarist in a local band that was pretty good, and a skater and all that, he was the model student, basketball star, and now it seemed he was a student of Wicca. He wasn't perfect, Aurelia knew. He'd been shipped from foster home to foster home, and was now rooming with some college kid on the edge of town. Aurelia thought of her own loving family and blushed. They walked on by, going through a door to an enclosed stall.
Running her hands over the items, she suddenly froze in her tracks. Her hands hit a beautiful shawl -hand woven- with images of the sun, moon, stars, and the god and goddess depicted on it. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at it. It was so delicate, she didn't want to think of the price.
An older Creole woman walked over, full of bangles on her wrists and ears. She smiled in delight. "Ah, I see it calls to you. My work picks its owner well, always. It wants to go home with you."
Aurelia shook her head and backed a little away. "I can't - I'm not-"
The woman smiled. "You want it, no? You do, ma cherie. Do not deny this to Emilia…"
Aurelia blushed. "Ma'am… I could never afford this-"
"I'll pay for it then. How much?"
Aurelia's eyes widened as Will made the transaction out of nowhere. They left the shop, the shawl draped over her shoulders, and Aurelia headed straight across the way to a tea shop. Will sat across from her.
"Will, you really didn't have to do that," she fumed, color rising in her cheeks.
"Of course not. Wouldn't have been fun if I'd had to." He smiled recklessly. Aurelia was started to see the beginnings of a beard on his chin.
"But how am I supposed to repay you?"
He laughed, a musical, delighted sound. "Don't worry about it, okay Skysong?"
"Okay," she mumbled.
A young teen delivered them some tea. Aurelia's was chamomile while Will had peppermint. She drank quietly, looking deeply into the yellow liquid.
"So," prompted Will. "Having a nice time?"
Aurelia snapped to attention. "Hm? Yes, wonderful." She rested her hand on the table.
Will picked it up in his own. "Me too. I'm glad you came with me, hon."
Aurelia blushed wildly and began to pull her hand back. "Will… we can't - you're my best friend, I can't lose you…"
He smiled and stroked her hand with his thumb. "Rail, we have to try. At least then we'll know. It won't hurt anything we already have, I promise. Don't you wanna know?"
Her eyes met his. Her heart was thumping wildly. "I… I'm willing to find out."
He sat beside her, a hand stroking her hair and another her leg. Aurelia almost couldn't hear from the loudness of her own wild heartbeat.
He smiled at her, then brought their foreheads together. "I'm willing too."
He inclined her head a little, and their lips almost touched when Aurelia looked over his shoulder with widened eyes. An instant before they kissed she pushed him back and jumped away from him, shouting into the crowd.
"Morgan!"
Reader Responses:
Rainwolf: You want a paragraph? Review me more! Lol. Anyways, here's your donuts. Or pop-tarts or bagels or whatever. Yeah. Thank you so much for being here for me as I write this, you know that without you, I have no reason to write! Check my bio for more thank you's to you! Lylas!
Dancing with Lightning: I'm not psychic, but hey, I'm a witch - does that make up for it? I'm really glad you're taking the time to read me, because it makes me glow to think that a writer I admire admires my own work as well. In a few chapters we'll start on our own fic, okay? E-mail me your ideas!
Saz: Oh Saz, faithful friend! Your reviews are always there, no matter what, and I'm glad to have you as a reader. I'll keep going, if only for your sake, until this story is complete!
Rhiannan Star: Thank you so much for reading my story. I put my soul into my work, and I hope it shows. I'm really grateful, and glad, that you like my work. I'll write up more soon!
Please Review and you will get donuts too!
Liam: Quit whining. I thought I'd made you stronger than that!
Dream: Liam dear, you didn't make me anything. I created you.
Liam: (putting his military hat on in place of his cowboy hat) That's it! 20 push-ups, NOW! Down! Down! Down!
(Dream does the push-ups, thanking goddesses abound for the strength track had given her.)
Liam: (as Dream does push-ups) Hey, where's Aurelia?
Dream: (panting and speaking between push-ups) She's -on vacation…writer's-block!
Liam: Then we're going to work you out until she comes back! You will write and write and write!
Dream: My poor fingers…
This chapter is soooo rated Pg-13 for language. Really, I was frustrated!
Merry meet and Merry part until we Merry meet again! This one is a little long… Enjoy and happy belated Beltane!
Chapter Eight: Of Scrying Incidents and Pagan Conventions
Aurelia got up early on Sunday, deciding that she was going to be ready when Will came and got her. Not just ready, but perfect instead. "Oh holy Mother, please help me this day," she prayed over and over as the hot water of the shower flowed over her body.
She dressed that day in a long black skirt and a black silk top. After trying a few different styles, she growled and curled her hair around her face. Looking in the mirror, she thought that the sleeve-less, low-cut top left her looking a little naked. She grabbed a necklace with an amber drop hanging on it and put it on. The amber drop was just above her breasts, far below her pentacle. Perfect.
By ten-thirty she was ready. She sat on her bed and stared out the window awhile as the world became brighter, until she heard a knock on her door. She looked back as Julian opened the door. "Hey," he said, smiling.
She smiled back. "Hey. You look nice." His hair was combed back from the temple, and he wore nice jeans and a green sweater.
"Thanks. I'm taking my boss out to brunch."
"Your boss?"
He blushed a little. "Yeah. My manager, anyway. Her name is Evelyn Martin."
Aurelia's eyebrow rose. "Her? And how old is she?"
"Um… My age?"
"Julian! Are you going to ask her out? You need to get married."
He laughed. "I've just met her, Rail. But I'm telling you, I think she might be the one."
"Muirn beatha dun," whispered Aurelia, looking at the floor.
"What?"
"Nothing." She shook her head to clear it. "You go on and have a good time. Remember, no kissing on the first date!"
He left laughing, waving goodbye. Aurelia proceeded to go to the chest at the end of her bed and pull out a shallow black glass bowl. Her scrying bowl. She filled it with water and proceeded with gazing in it. Her mind wandered. She couldn't think of a question, and decided to let the water guide her where it would, being careful to remember that water was normally unreliable, and she could pretty much disregard what she might see..
But what happened she didn't expect.
Images flew past her in a torrent, and in her mind's eye she couldn't catch a one. She lost her breath as she tried to see, but the speed only increased. It was like fast-forwarding a movie… No matter how you try, at ten-times the normal speed things just don't pan out. Her heart raced increasingly as she realized what danger she was in, what the power would do to her. It would kill her; it had the strength. Get out, she thought desperately. Get out. Let me go. Oh Goddess, let me go! While the images passed, her mind felt emotions, thoughts as she tried to pull away. The impressions on her of warning, danger, pain; these were strong. She began to black out. The pain was overwhelming. If she didn't escape, she'd die, keel right over on the bed like this. No one could help her but herself. Oh Goddess, please help me… Tears ran out of her wide eyes as she tried to blink. Once, twice, on the third try she did it.
As soon as it had started, it had stopped. The bowl was empty.
Will smiled as she got in the car an hour later. "Hey hon. You look great."
She smiled at him. "Thanks. Ready to roll?"
"You know it." He looked comfortable as he stretched in his Hawaiian-style black dragon over-shirt. Fleetingly Aurelia was reminded of Dragon. A smile came to her lips unbidden. Will noticed. "What?"
She shook her head and cleared her throat. "Nothing. Let's go." He backed out of the driveway and they drove through the tiny town.
"Why so quiet?" asked Will.
Aurelia was staring out the window. "Hm? Oh nothing… Just a little tired, I guess."
"Long night?"
"Something like that."
They hit the highway. In the Saturday traffic they blazed up the roads.
"So it's just going to be you and me today?"
He turned into another lane. " Well, Adam was thinking about taking Jaide, Whitney, and one of his friends."
Aurelia looked at him. "Who?"
Will smirked and looked over. "You know Chase Sharp, right?"
Aurelia's eyes widened. "Chase? You're kidding!"
Will shook his head. "Chase has been studying with Adam for awhile now, but he didn't tell Jaide, so he didn't get invited to the last circle."
"Whoops."
"Yep."
"So what all's going on today?" Asked Aurelia, yawning.
Will switched gears. "Oh you know, the usual. Tarot booths and stall shops and fundraisers, stuff like that."
"Sounds fun."
"Should be. Alyce is taking some stuff from Practical Magick to set up a stall. I think Whitney said she'd help her."
Aurelia blinked, startled. "Whit knows Alyce?"
Will smiled. "Yeah. Adam and Jaide took a drive over there. She was there for hours because they actually forgot her and drove home."
"They did WHAT?" Aurelia's eyes were saucers.
Will laughed. "Not as bad as it sounds. 'They only had eyes for each other, and the world around did not exist', as some dude said."
Eyebrows raised. "Only had eyes for each other… Jaide and Adam? That… is a strange match."
"Yeah well, at least now Jaide'll settle down some. She been disrupting our energy."
Aurelia laughed. "So says the high-and-mighty witch."
He playfully punched her shoulder. "Eh, you drive me crazy. Why do I hang around with you?"
"'Cause I'm cute and adorable."
They pulled into the parking lot of the fair grounds and walked around. At first there was nothing special, but they passed stalls of increasing curiosity. They stopped by a crystal stall, where Aurelia found a flat scrying quartz as big as a dinner plate. She did, however, buy both a piece of green and brown jade and beautiful coral.
At a stall owned by The Harvest Moon shop, Aurelia bought enough incense to last her through Mabon. Will bought an athame with a fox engraved into it -his namesake. On the whole, it was a pleasant time.
"Milady! Would you like to buy an amulet? For luck, for love… Anything to please you, Ma'am," called a vendor, wiggling his eyebrows at Aurelia. She smiled and shook her head.
Without warning, Will slipped his arm through hers. She started to freeze, but stopped and took a deep breath. Relax, she told herself. Just relax. He's not going to hurt you. He's knows I'll turn him into a frog.
That brought a smile to her lips again. Will grinned at her. "Enjoying yourself?"
She nodded. "Oh yes. I love these fairs."
They passed an amphitheatre where a man robed in dark blue was giving a speech. Aurelia cocked her head to read a program and nearly laughed at its title: "Yes Virginia, I DO sacrifice small children and dance naked in front of an open fire, and I dream of drinking the blood of a virgin. Get over yourself."
Will leaned down and laughed as well. "I like this one: 'Dear God, is it really my fault that I can't believe your bullsht?' If no, then why do I have to go to hell?'"
Aurelia stared at it for another moment, smiling. It was like old times… before the nightmares. When Kyle Freeman was her boyfriend and her life was a bed of f-ing roses.
Boy did she miss the old days.
Walking through the stretch of fairground, they saw Jaide, Adam, Whit and junior Chase Sharp, and waved. Chase wasn't all of what he looked like - mousy hair in orange-tipped spikes, casual baggy blue jeans and punk-rocker shirt. Though he was the lead guitarist in a local band that was pretty good, and a skater and all that, he was the model student, basketball star, and now it seemed he was a student of Wicca. He wasn't perfect, Aurelia knew. He'd been shipped from foster home to foster home, and was now rooming with some college kid on the edge of town. Aurelia thought of her own loving family and blushed. They walked on by, going through a door to an enclosed stall.
Running her hands over the items, she suddenly froze in her tracks. Her hands hit a beautiful shawl -hand woven- with images of the sun, moon, stars, and the god and goddess depicted on it. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at it. It was so delicate, she didn't want to think of the price.
An older Creole woman walked over, full of bangles on her wrists and ears. She smiled in delight. "Ah, I see it calls to you. My work picks its owner well, always. It wants to go home with you."
Aurelia shook her head and backed a little away. "I can't - I'm not-"
The woman smiled. "You want it, no? You do, ma cherie. Do not deny this to Emilia…"
Aurelia blushed. "Ma'am… I could never afford this-"
"I'll pay for it then. How much?"
Aurelia's eyes widened as Will made the transaction out of nowhere. They left the shop, the shawl draped over her shoulders, and Aurelia headed straight across the way to a tea shop. Will sat across from her.
"Will, you really didn't have to do that," she fumed, color rising in her cheeks.
"Of course not. Wouldn't have been fun if I'd had to." He smiled recklessly. Aurelia was started to see the beginnings of a beard on his chin.
"But how am I supposed to repay you?"
He laughed, a musical, delighted sound. "Don't worry about it, okay Skysong?"
"Okay," she mumbled.
A young teen delivered them some tea. Aurelia's was chamomile while Will had peppermint. She drank quietly, looking deeply into the yellow liquid.
"So," prompted Will. "Having a nice time?"
Aurelia snapped to attention. "Hm? Yes, wonderful." She rested her hand on the table.
Will picked it up in his own. "Me too. I'm glad you came with me, hon."
Aurelia blushed wildly and began to pull her hand back. "Will… we can't - you're my best friend, I can't lose you…"
He smiled and stroked her hand with his thumb. "Rail, we have to try. At least then we'll know. It won't hurt anything we already have, I promise. Don't you wanna know?"
Her eyes met his. Her heart was thumping wildly. "I… I'm willing to find out."
He sat beside her, a hand stroking her hair and another her leg. Aurelia almost couldn't hear from the loudness of her own wild heartbeat.
He smiled at her, then brought their foreheads together. "I'm willing too."
He inclined her head a little, and their lips almost touched when Aurelia looked over his shoulder with widened eyes. An instant before they kissed she pushed him back and jumped away from him, shouting into the crowd.
"Morgan!"
Reader Responses:
Rainwolf: You want a paragraph? Review me more! Lol. Anyways, here's your donuts. Or pop-tarts or bagels or whatever. Yeah. Thank you so much for being here for me as I write this, you know that without you, I have no reason to write! Check my bio for more thank you's to you! Lylas!
Dancing with Lightning: I'm not psychic, but hey, I'm a witch - does that make up for it? I'm really glad you're taking the time to read me, because it makes me glow to think that a writer I admire admires my own work as well. In a few chapters we'll start on our own fic, okay? E-mail me your ideas!
Saz: Oh Saz, faithful friend! Your reviews are always there, no matter what, and I'm glad to have you as a reader. I'll keep going, if only for your sake, until this story is complete!
Rhiannan Star: Thank you so much for reading my story. I put my soul into my work, and I hope it shows. I'm really grateful, and glad, that you like my work. I'll write up more soon!
Please Review and you will get donuts too!